Contemporary Art

      Finally that touristy and exiting feeling was back after awhile. Chelsea has been one of my favorite neighborhoods for weekend night out with friends or for a casual walk but now that I have experienced Chelsea in the totally new, artistry, way I’ll be definitely back to explore all these galleries.

 I would have to start this blog by talking about Anish Kapoor’s “Today You Will Be In Paradise” at Barbara Gladstone Gallery. I have never heard of this artist before but after seeing his sculptures I am absolutely in love with his work. I found it very interesting because I like seeing everything related to internal organs and human body but I can imagine that some people don’t feel like they are in paradise(but more like in meat market). This huge, bloody, almost 11feet tall, freestanding sculpture represents us, humans, as who we truly are. I believe Kapoor’s purpose was that viewer comes to realization of its own physical vulnerability. It took me a long time to figure that the installation is made of silicone. This contemporary art piece has a great texture and very realistic sense. I love that red color is exactly the same as blood color that makes those installations realistic. 

During my visit to Paola Cooper gallery the one piece that draw my attention was “Blindman’s Bluff” by Bruce Conner. As we talked in class about contemporary art we learned that is worldwide influenced and culturally diverse. In this piece Cooper shows many historical fragments and familiar faces. Bruce Conner in 2003 scanned his ’90s sketchbook colleges in order to create cotton woven tapestry. Also this artwork gives a sense of allegorical scene, and I remember seeing these children’s faces when we talked in class about creating space on a flat surface. It is fascinating how perfect this woven art piece is. From the distance I was sure that is drawing.

In Gagosian Gallery, “Love Song” painting and the whole collection by Howard Hodgkins inspired me.  I liked the brightness of the room. The white walls made these paintings shine and speak. I chose to talk about  “Love Song” because it is the biggest painting on that wall and I somehow spent the most time observing it. The contemporary art piece is oil painting on wood. Dynamic colors of green and blue are chaotically spread though the painting. Even though there is a black frame around the beige part, the Hodqkins spreads these cool colors on the frame too. Frame didn’t stop his thinking and creativity. This actually reminds me of a love story that had no boundaries. I think this painting brought an emotional response to many viewers.

Since I am a big fun of quotes and expressions, visit to Tina Kim Gallery made that walk on a hot and humid day worth it. Near the installations by Korean artist, Park Chan-kyong, I found this quote on the black wall: “When the state justified itself religiously, heaven was included in the time of religion; now that the state wishes to justify itself scientifically, the sky is in the space of science.” I believe he was inspired by this quote because we see the relationship of space in his work.